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El Chilacatazo

4.8 (184 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

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EL CHILACATAZO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Trendy
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - El Chilacatazo

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Ceviche
Sonya E.

Cute locally owned mom and pops type of restaurant serving up tacos, burritos, ceviche, enchiladas, pupusas, and Mexican style lunch plates. During my most recent visit, I tried their Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas (Tostadas de Ceviche) and it was quite a refreshing treat. Lots of fresh ingredients like cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado etc. blended well with seasoned shrimp and dressed with lime juices. I topped it off with some hot sauce and it made for such a light lunch. Loved how the restaurant was playing Mexican music loud enough for a vibe. The restaurant itself is relatively big offering space for groups of all sizes. My server was really sweet and checked in a few times. Would definitely recommend.

Guacamole
Lupe J.

As someone currently on a mission to explore more local restaurants around the Salinas area, El Chilacatazo turned out to be an incredible find and a place I'm already excited to revisit. We started with the guacamole appetizer, which was bright, fresh, and tasty. You could really taste the freshness of the ingredients, and it set the tone for the meal. The star of the night was the molcajete mixto, served hot and packed with an amazing variety of ingredients, chorizo, shrimp, cheese, chuletas, carne asada, and nopales. It also came with some surprise finds, which was a bacon wrapped chile, cebollitas, and pieces of grilled queso panela. It also came with rice, beans, and fresh made corn tortillas. The molcajete itself was a feast of flavors and textures. The meats were well seasoned and tender, the shrimp were perfectly cooked, and the chorizo melted in the cheese brought everything together beautifully. What really stood out was the seasoning. Every element was so flavorful on its own that we didn't feel the need to add salsa or anything extra, which is a something that doesn't happen often. It was clear that a lot of care goes into the preparation of this dish. And the homemade corn tortillas deserve their own mention. They were warm, soft, and incredibly delicious, so much so that we had to ask for a second batch just to keep enjoying everything in the molcajete. Portions were generous and incredibly satisfying, making it a hearty and shareable meal. The service was friendly and attentive, and the menu has a great selection that makes you want to come back and try more. One of the workers came by to ask if it was our first visit and shared their weekly specials menu with us. For anyone looking for bold, authentic Mexican flavors in the Salinas area, El Chilacatazo is definitely worth a visit. This was a fantastic foodie experience and a restaurant we're already looking forward to returning to.

Chilaquiles Combinados
David C.

Nice little spot. Nice people. Amazing food. I came from Redwood City for a meeting. I am so thrilled I stopped here. I will be back.

Horchata ($4)
John D.

You Guac My World Family-owned restaurant that's owned by two cousins and features Guerrero-style Mexican cuisine as well as Salvadorean pupusas in honor of one of the owner's Salvadorean husbands. Located in quaint Downtown Salinas, El Chilacatazo (Mexican slang for "delicious") is a relative newcomer to the restaurant scene being open less than two years (ca. Feb '24). Their rave Yelp reviews drew us in to check them out after a hike nearby. The Good: *Friendly service by make sure you pay at the counter or you'll be sitting at your table for a long, long time... *Fresh housemade flour tortillas *Horchata was delicious and not too sweet. *I loved their Guacamole which was nice and chunky (like me), but my only complaint was it needed a little more salt for our liking. *Birria tacos were Mexcellent! Absolutely packed with meat and cheese and with a nice helping of their delicious consomé that put it over the top. The Meh: *Small shared parking lot that was packed on our arrival, but empty when we left. There's free street parking as well, and another (free) City-owned lot right across the street, which is where we ended up parking. *Hard to complain about complimentary chips and salsa, but the chips weren't my favorite. Too thin and a weird texture to them. The salsa however was fantastic and had a great kick. *No outdoor seating The Ugly: *Need a code for the restroom, which is kinda annoying. *I don't know if the area is always like this, but man is was a nightmare crossing the street from the city lot. So many friggin cars coming around those two incoming curves on San Luis St. Conclusion: Tasty authentic Mexican eats in a family-friendly environment with friendly service.

Camarones a la Diabla
Edward S.

At El Chilacatazo, you can find great seafood dishes, such as tacos gobernador and molcajete, inspired by Guerrero-style cooking and the fresh ingredients so close to the Monterey coast. Camarones a la Diabla: The plump shrimp are fresh and flavorful, which is no surprise considering how close the coast is. The devilishly delicious sauce contains chili peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic, with a sweet and buttery flavor, and a nice kick. You can never go wrong with rice and beans, but the thin fries add some great crispiness. The freshly made corn tortillas are warm, thick, and chewy. I sopped up all the sauce as an excuse to finish the tortillas. The same thing happened to the chips because of how great and spicy the salsa was.

Molcajete
Andrew D.

My wife and I shared the large Molcajete and it was amazing! My son also loved his Quesabirria tacos. The salsa verde was delicious and tasted so fresh. The staff were very friendly and attentive as they kept that salsa verde coming when I needed more. We were there an a rainy day and it was warm and cozy inside plus my family was able to really relax in the comfortable booth seating. It's very bright and colorful inside plus they had some great Mexican music videos playing on the big screen TV that we enjoyed. Highly recommended!!!

Mixta Tostada
Miss E.

Discovered this place recently and we're so happy we did. The food is truly authentic and packed with flavor. On our first visit we tried the red enchiladas, mixta tostada, and the shrimp and fish tacos--everything was fresh, bold, and delicious. Our second visit was just as good with the menudo, molcajete, and a pupusa, all cooked perfectly. The guacamole is an absolute must, and the chips and salsa are great on their own. Don't skip the horchata--one of the best we've had. We also noticed they offer daily specials and we can't wait to come back to try the Tuesday special. There's a constant flow of patrons, which is always a great sign. This spot is officially in our regular rotation.

Carne asada Huaraches
Jacqueline Q.

This place never disappoints! Everything is absolutely delicious. Definitely my favorite spot in Salinas.

Taco asada, caldo de res special, and chicken tacos
Christine L.

Omgggg amazing food. Friendly staff. Down home cooking. Best asada tacos. I had the caldo de res special and it felt like a grandma made it for me. Corn tortillas are made by hand and it's obvious and delicious. This is the kind of food I would drive 100 miles to eat. And of course DEFINITELY worth a stop if you're nearby. This food is a core memory.

pastor huarache
Anthony H.

We came here after finding a 2 hours wait at Villa Azteca during Mothers' Day Sunday. El Chilacataza was highly rated on Yelp and it was busy when we got there, but luckily they have a table for our group of 5. We knew this eatery is authentic as most of the staff speaks little English. LOL However, the printed menu was helpful and the staff tried their best to answer our questions. They were very friendly, and brought us complimentary chips and salsas to start. Two kinds of salsas were provided, one very spicy and one mild. Both were very fresh and tasty. We ordered the tacos gubernador(tray of 3 shrimp tacos with guacamole), shrimp fajitas, shrimp and octopus cerviche, al pastor huarache, and 2 pupusas. The flavors were all great and authentic. Portions were good, with very fresh ingredients. They did make a mistake with one of our orders, however. We had ordered an asada tacos plate, but they brought a potatoes tacos plate instead. Lost in translation, I guess, but we took it in good stride as the potatoes tacos were still enjoyable. We are glad we made this find for authentic Mexican food in downtown Salinas!

Shrimp gubernador

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11 months ago

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10 months ago

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7 months ago

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2 years ago

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4 months ago

The food is delicious and fresh. The restaurant is busy and packed. I ordered the Asada fries and the super burrito.

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1 year ago

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8 months ago

Excellent service and the good it's awesome I been there about 6 times and never disappointed

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10 months ago

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9 months ago

Amazing food! Authentic and delicious. Highly recommended to anyone who is hungry and looking!

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1 year ago

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11 months ago

Great food, vibes, service. Family Enjoyed the taco birria meal and kids menu. Will be back!

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3 months ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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9 months ago

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1 year ago

Their shrimp tacos and popusas are absolutely hands down delicious!! I would definitely go back!!

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2 years ago

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

We were in the Salinas area and decided to try out El Chilacatazo for lunch. We really enjoyed our meals and will definitely be coming back!

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11 months ago

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7 months ago

First timer ordered the breakfast chilaquiles plate and it's was really good, made it even better with the great service provided recommend

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

The food was amazing and the service was wonderful. I have recommended this place to friends and Salinas and I will be back.

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2 years ago

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10 months ago

Nice service and yummy food. Would recommend for lunch. They have a kids menu which is great for the little ones.

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7 months ago

Truly amazing shrimp tacos. El Pastor tacos equally incredible. Service spot on. Packed for lunch.

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

Delicious food and friendly, fast service. Highly recommend the chilaquiles and birria plate.

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7 months ago

Rude people I ordered quesobirria tacos shorted me! When I called the girl told me ok so what do you want from me

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El Zacatecano - El MENUDO QUE NO FALTE!

El Zacatecano

4.4(449 reviews)
1.1 mi
$$

Don't let the grilled windows and doors throw you off--this place is a genuine diamond in the rough…read moretucked away on a bustling Salinas street. Once you step inside, the vibe shifts instantly into a perfectly clean, well-organized Mexican eatery that feels both authentic and welcoming. The service is incredibly friendly and the prices are more than fair. It's the kind of hidden gem that makes you feel like you've been let in on a local secret. The food is quite frankly phenomenal. We're talking enchiladas cooked to perfection, delicious tortillas, quesadillas boasting that glorious, milky-stretchy cheese we all dream about, and bold salsas that bring just enough zing to make you reach for your napkin (and maybe a glass of water). Even the staples like refried beans and rice were flawless, leaving us with absolutely nothing to fault. If you're looking for a meal with enough soul and spice to make you sweat, this is a must-visit!

8.75/10 Been coming…read morehere since I was a kid! This spot never disappoints and still has to be one of the best Mexican restaurants in Salinas. Chilaquiles 9/10 Made perfectly, spicy, and full of flavor. The beans are always great soft with cheese and super comforting. Only bummer was the eggs ordered 3 sunny side up but no runny yolk. Still amazing overall. Chicken Enchiladas 8.5/10 Really good, would definitely order again. The sauce and chicken were on point, tons of flavor. Just wish it had a little more texture everything was a bit soft, maybe some veggies or a little crisp on the tortilla. Still super nostalgic and tasty. Service was quick and friendly like always. The vibe hasn't changed since I was a kid super nostalgic, and I love that.

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4.6(450 reviews)
0.8 mi
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This restaurant has very delicious and scrumptious food and appetizing drinks. The service was…read moreamazing, very helpful, and fast. The restaurant is very inviting and decorated beautifully. This place will become mine and your go to Restaurant for Mexican food.

If you know me, you know I LOVE Mexican food. I read an article about this restaurant with rave…read morereviews and decided this is where I wanted to go on Mother's Day. Drove two hours from the Bay Area to get there and it was totally with the trip. My son got the mole negro and I got the chile verde. Everything on both plates was authentic, delicious, and AMAZING. My son tried my chile verde and said it was the best he's ever tasted and I agreed. They were super busy because it was Mother's Day, but we were seated after a short wait and our waitress was super efficient and friendly. Several times during our meal someone checked to see if we needed anything. Not going to lie, we were a bit intimidated when we pulled up as there were no other non-Hispanic people in the large crowd outside waiting to be seated. I told my son that meant the food was definitely going to be good, but I was worried about how we would be received considering the political climate these days, but it wasn't an issue. Everyone was super friendly. Will definitely be going back to try other items on their menu.

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El Chilacatazo - mexican - Updated May 2026

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